I happened to see him on the street

Question

Can any one help me to learn the use of "happen to"? eg;I happen to know him?? I happened to see him on the street??

New Hope · Accepted Answer

'happen to' means to do something and be in a position by chance.

CalifJim · Answer

vts nairI happen to know him

By chance I know him. As it turns out, I know him. As it happens, I know him.

vts nairI happened to see him on the street

By chance I saw him on the street. As it turned out, I saw him on the street. As it happens, I saw him on the street.

Similarly,

She happened to have the key we were looking for.
~ By chance she had the key we were looking for. As it turned out, she had the key we were looking for. As it happens, she had the key we were looking for.

If you happen to pass by a mail box, could you please drop these letters in for me?
~ If by chance you pass by a mail box, ... If it turns out that you pass by a mail box, ... If it happens that you pass by a mail box, ...

— Would you like a liver sausage sandwich?
— Oh, yes! It happens to be one of my favorites.
__________

This expression is often used when something that happens turns out to be a little surprising and/or a convenient solution to a problem.

CJ

Vts nair · Answer

I got it....Thank you guys.

One more question, this is about have had & had had. Eg; you have had to suffer on my account. He has had headache.
She have had the key.

Would you pls explain how we can use this has had or had had form?

Thanks in advance

CalifJim · Answer

vts nairhave had & had had

auxiliary verb main verb

The tenses are formed in the same way no matter what you use as the main verb. You can have a case where the auxiliary verb is have and the main verb is also have, but that doesn't change how you form the tense.

Past participle ~ Third form of verb: taken
Present perfect of take: has taken / have taken
Past perfect of take: had taken

Past participle ~ Third form of verb: been
Present perfect of be: has been / have been
Past perfect of be: had been

Past participle ~ Third form of verb: had
Present perfect of have: has had / have had
Past perfect of have: had had

Lucy has had a headache all day.
We have had visitors from all over the world.
Jerry had had the flu so he did not go to the party.

Jane has had to see a doctor.
We have had to repair the car.
Mary had had to check her account before she went shopping.

CJ

Vts nair · Answer

Thanks Calif,Though i am not fully convinced.

Would you help me to learn what meaning difference have had and have make in a sentence?
Eg;Lucy has had a headache all day. Lucy has a headache all day

We have had visitors from all over the world. We have visitors from all over the world.

Your reply would be appreciated

CalifJim · Answer

vts nairI am not fully convinced.

If you are not fully convinced about how to form the tenses in English, then you are not likely to be convinced about anything. Review your grammar books. They will all show you how to form the tenses just as I have done.

vts nairLucy has had a headache all day. Lucy has a headache all day

The present tense of the verb (has) indicates a regularly occurring experience here. You can add a whenever clause to emphasize this.

Lucy has a headache all day whenever she eats oysters. ~ When Lucy eats oysters, she gets a headache, and the headache lasts all day. (This describes a typical reaction that is characteristic of Lucy. She does not necessarily have a headache now.)

Lucy has had a headache all day. ~ Lucy got a headache earlier today, and she still has it now. (This tells about Lucy's on-going suffering. She still has the headache that started earlier.)

vts nairWe have had visitors from all over the world. We have visitors from all over the world.

We have visitors from all over the world. ~ It is a normal occurrence for us these days to have visitors from all over the world. (This is a description of activity that goes on around us now.)

We have had visitors from all over the world. ~ During different times in the past we experienced visits from people all over the world which we can now remember. (This is a recollection of different experiences in the past.)

CJ

New Hope · Answer

Does it (your last explanation) also mean that 'we used to (or would) have visitors from all over the world'?

CalifJim · Answer

haroon rashidDoes it (your last explanation) also mean that 'we used to (or would) have visitors from all over the world'?

"Last explanation"

We have had visitors from all over the world. ~ During different times in the past we experienced visits from people all over the world which we can now remember. (This is a recollection of different experiences in the past.)
___________________________

No. They are similar but not exactly the same. We used to have visitors from all over the world suggests that we don't have visitors from all over the world anymore. As far as we know, the activity has stopped. This is the past (in meaning) of We have visitors from all over the world. It describes typical activity, but in the past, not in the present.

We would use these two statements in different contexts.

We used to have visitors from all over the world. (But now, unfortunately, no one visits us anymore. We are sad about it. We might say this sadly.)

We have had visitors from all over the world. (We are so important that everyone wants to visit us. The proof is that people from all over the world have really visited us. There is no reason to think we will lose our importance. We are proud of this. We would say this proudly.)

CJ

Vts nair · Answer

Thank you very much CJ!!! I got your point.

Would you help me to know the meaning of 'I would like to have seen the Taj Mahal when I was in India'?

Regards,
vtsnair

CalifJim · Answer

vts nairI would like to have seen

There are several patterns like this.

1 I would like to see
2 I would like to have seen
3 I would have liked to see
4 I would have liked to have seen

Pattern 1 expresses a desire to see (something) in the future. This pattern in uncontroversial.

Patterns 2, 3, and 4 all have the same general meaning. They express mild regret at not having seen (something) in the past. You will hear all of these three among native speakers. Grammarians recommend Pattern 3, but very few people pay attention to this advice.

The verb need not be 'see', by the way. Other verbs are found in the same patterns, of course.

CJ

I happened to see him on the street

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